A Clermont resident pleaded guilty this week in a scheme to illegally distribute more than 1 million copies of copyrighted Android mobile-device applications as part of the U.S. Justice Department's first counterfeit-apps prosecutions.

Kody Jon Peterson, 22, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. Peterson and three fellow conspirators identified themselves as the SnappzMarket Group to illegally reproduce and sell copyrighted apps with a retail value of more than $1.7 million, according to a Justice Department statement.

He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a Justice Department spokesman said. A sentencing date has not been set.

An Oregon City, Ore., man also pleaded guilty to the same charge as Peterson in a separate scheme to sell more than 1 million Android apps worth more than $700,000, according to the Justice Department. Two other defendants in that scheme pleaded guilty last month.

When Peterson and three others were charged in January, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates of the Northern District of Georgia said copyright laws "are designed to protect creative thinkers and encourage them to use their talents in ways that benefit society."

Yates added: "These defendants are charged with violating the law by stealing copyrighted apps, thereby depriving the creators of the apps the fruits of their labor. We are committed to protecting copyright owners, and we will continue to vigorously prosecute those who steal all forms of copyrighted work."